Loughborough's mistletoe

Thorpe Acre, Loughborough, 7.30pm Gorse Covert Community Centre

Thorpe Acre is now a suburb of Loughborough town, but was once an area of apple orchards - and mistletoe.

Recent initiatives by Roy Campsell and Mark Graham have shown that some of this mistletoe survives - on former orchard apple trees now 'stranded' in house gardens etc.

So why not resuscitate the old mistletoe colony? Collect berries from surviving mistletoe-infected trees and hand 'em out to the community to grow on on new trees.

This is where I come in. Mark (wildlife officer with Charnwood Borough) has organised a berry exchange - at the Community Centre. I give the background talk, and info (slides and handouts) on how to grow your own - and at the end of the evening local berrries are handed out to attendees.

And it is very good session - lots of interest, loads of enthusiasm. A proper mistletoe conservation event. It feels good. And Mark even provides fresh mistletoe tea to round it off.

But I'll have to come back next year to hear about results...